9:00am Monday 15th March 2010
CHELTENHAM! To jump racing fans there is no better place to be during the month of March, writes PAUL TITCHENER.
From tomorrow until Friday thousands of people from all over the country will descend on Prestbury Park, for what are the most important four days of the national hunt season. The feature race on the first day is the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, where the Irish will likely have the hot favourite in Go Native.
However, this year’s race looks to be a wide-open contest, and for that reason the Nicky Henderson-trained Zaynar can show his class and land back-to-back Cheltenham wins for the Seven Barrows trainer. Celestial Halo at 14/1 appeals most as the each-way value.
The Supreme Novice Hurdle, the traditional festival opener, sees Dunguib, many people’s idea of the festival ‘banker’, attempt to get the Irish off to a flyer.
However, with a question mark hanging over his jumping, this could go to the impressive Totesport Trophy winner Get Me Out Of Here, who is currently rated 150, higher than the last five winners of this race. Menorah is the danger. Wednesday features the Neptune Investment Novice Hurdle where the Irish have another strong favourite in Rite of Passage.
However, Barry Geraghty, big race jockey of Finian’s Rainbow said: “I think he is the business. He’s the horse I’m most looking forward to at Cheltenham.”
High praise indeed considering the depth of Henderson’s team this year. Accordingly, Finian’s Rainbow must be respected.
The Champion Bumper, which finishes Wednesday, is a race that the Irish usually win, and they will want to do so again on St Patrick’s Day. Look to Shot From The Hip to give Edward O’Grady his third win in the race. O’Grady could also provide the answer in a very competitive renewal of the Ryanair Chase this year, with his proven course and distance winner Tranquil Sea.
In the Jewson Novices’ Chase, Ferdy Murphy’s The Hollinwell looks the pick of the bunch.
Murphy stated: “He’s progressed nicely. He's worked very well and he's in good form, so it's fingers crossed.” Friday brings the meeting to a close with the festival highlight, the Totesport Gold Cup. Kauto Star is the odds on favourite, and rightly so. If Denman is back to his Hennessey Gold Cup form he will take an awful lot of beating. To come second last year from a heart problem was huge, so to dismiss him after a fall at Newbury is laughable.
Local trainer Alan King has nominated The Betchworth Kid in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle on Friday as his best chance of the week, while Manyriverstocross each-way in the Neptune Investment Hurdle should also go close.
A final thought on this year’s festival - whatever race the Nicky Henderson-trained hurdler Quantitativeeasing runs in, have some money on each-way.
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